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Keep Your Students Reading Over Winter Break

Research has found that reading just 20 minutes a day exposes children to millions of words a year. Students have a chance to read for 14 days if they take advantage of every day over winter break. At the end of this article you will find a listing of Holiday/Winter books from AIM-VA to help. Also, here are a few ideas that may encourage your students to continue reading over this winter holiday.

Are Your Worksheets Accessible?

As you create or use existing worksheets for your students, you need to think about accessibility. Just because your worksheets are digital it does not mean they are accessible.

COVID-19 School Shutdown Q&A

Q: Do I need to provide distance learning opportunities to my students with disabilities during the COVID-19 shutdown of schools?

Answer: Patricia MacLachlan

Question: What American author of novels for young readers won a Newberry Medal in 1986 for Sarah, Plain and Tall which was later adapted as a TV movie, frequently focuses her stories on the family, and was born in March?

Who is Judy Blume Really?

Q: Who dreamed of being a cowgirl, a detective, a spy, an actress or a ballerina but instead became a famous writer and has a birthday in February?

A: Judy Blume, author of Freckles and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing among others.

Did you know the author of The Call of the Wild, Jack London, was a successful oyster pirate at age 15?

Jack London had a very interesting life. He was born in San Francisco on January 12, 1876. He grew up around the docks of San Francisco. He joined a gang of men who illegally caught oysters at night and sold them in the morning. He loved books and read while he practiced his pirate trade.

Henry Winkler, the man, the actor, the producer, the author

Henry Winkler is a well-known actor appearing as the Fonz in the series Happy Days, and for his role in films such as Holes and The Waterboy. Winkler is also an award-winning producer and director of children’s programming, as well as an entertainment industry leader committed to children’s welfare.

Never Give Up!

This is a message from a famous author born in November.

Did you know that the author of A Wrinkle in Time waited 2 ½ years to find a publisher for this famous book? Madeleine L'Engle won the Newbery award in 1963 for her book A Wrinkle in Time. When she wrote the book, the idea of space travel was new. It was a time when the Soviet Union and the United States were in competition for space exploration.

Who was born in October and writes scary children’s books?

What famous author has written more than 300 books, wrote the Goosebumps series and was born Oct. 8?

If you guessed R.L. Stine you would be right! At age nine, Stine found a typewriter in his attic and began to type stories and joke books. In high school, he joined the school newspaper. When he went to college, he was the editor of a humor magazine. After college, he moved to New York City to start his career as a writer.

It’s Roald Dahl’s birthday!

Did you know Sept 13 is Roald Dahl’s birthday? The famous author wrote books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and the Fantastic Mr. Fox. Roald Dahl was a famous British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, an ace fighter pilot, and a chocolate historian.